290: From Service to Insight

This Veterans Day, Chad sits down with SPARK’s own Jena to talk about her time in the military, the experiences that shaped her, and the wellbeing she discovered was within her all along. To every veteran listening, thank you. We are deeply grateful for your service. Ashley Hunt, SPARK’s Director of Partner Engagement & Success, also joins the conversation to share what’s ahead at the 2nd Annual National Wellbeing & Resilience Summit on February 16, 2027, in Tampa. Plus, a special shout out to Army veteran Jordan Brimlow, who will take the Summit stage to share his story. What if it all works out? Join us and find out: https://shop.thesparkinitiative.com/products/2027-2nd-annual-national-wellbeing-resilience-summit

What if the moments that make us squirm are the very ones guiding us toward something better? In this episode, Chad explores what it means to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. So often, our biggest growth comes from trying something new, taking a risk, or stepping into a situation we would rather avoid. Chad unpacks how our thinking about discomfort can feel bigger than the discomfort itself, keeping us stuck before we ever take the first step. Sometimes discomfort is protecting us. Other times, it’s an invitation to grow. Tune in to learn how to listen to your SPARK, that inner wisdom we all have, to know the difference and realize the courage that’s been inside you all along.

“How are you?” We hear it a dozen times a day, and most of us answer on autopilot. In honor of Emotional Wellness Month, Chad invites you to pause and ask yourself that question for real. In this episode, Chad explores what it looks like to check in with yourself honestly, why slowing down matters more than we think, and how a little introspection can reveal what we actually need. He also talks about knowing your resources, leaning on your support system, and giving yourself permission to make time for YOU. Your wellbeing is already within you. Sometimes all it takes is a quiet moment to notice it. Take a breath, press play, and give yourself the space to ask: how am I actually doing?

For ADHD Awareness Month, SPARK CEO Brooke Wheeldon-Reece is joined by special guest Rob Cook for an honest conversation about living with ADHD. They both spent years hiding it, held back by stigma and the quiet belief that something was wrong with them. Brooke and Rob talk about what that hiding cost them, and about the turning point that came recently, when they stopped defining themselves by the "disorder" label and started embracing their ADHD as a superpower. They also talk about the young people in their lives who are facing the same struggles, and how adults can help those kids feel seen, supported and proud of how their minds work. If you've ever felt "too much" or "not enough," this episode is for you. You can learn more about Rob Cook at imrobcook.com or meet him live at The SPARK Initiative's 2nd Annual National Wellbeing & Resilience Summit on February 16th.

October is Bullying Prevention Month, and in this episode, Chad sits down to talk about what bullying really looks like today. Bullying is wrong, but recognizing it isn't always simple. It doesn't just happen on the playground anymore. It shows up in group chats, comment sections, and social media platforms where kids and teens spend so much of their time. Chad breaks down the different forms bullying can take, from the obvious to the subtle, and why recognizing these patterns early matters so much. He also talks about the choices we all have in these moments. You don't have to participate in what the group is doing. You can choose to make someone feel like they belong, or you can tell an adult. Every choice shapes the environment around you. Chad leaves listeners with a question worth sitting with: what kind of environment are you willing to create for the people around you? Tune in to learn how to spot the signs, start the conversation, and support the young people in your life.

On this episode of Find Your SPARK, Chad explores the power of saying no for your mental health. Saying yes to everything is often just habit, not a real choice. A meeting, a favor, a commitment agreed to before we've even thought it through. Most of the time we don't decide, we default. That default has a cost. Chad digs into why we tend to say yes on autopilot, what it's actually costing us, and how saying no, thoughtfully and without guilt, can be one of the most protective things we do for our wellbeing. This isn't about shutting people out. It's about noticing where your yes goes unchecked and reclaiming the choice, because every no you mean protects a yes that matters more.

In honor of the International Day of Peace, Stephanie Fox sits down with longtime friend and colleague Mara Gleason Olson for a conversation about what peace actually requires, starting from the inside out. Mara is the co-founder of One Solution, where Stephanie served as Middle East Director, and together their teams worked with young people in Gaza and, through Rebels for Peace, on Chicago's South Side, showing that inner peace isn't a luxury for the comfortable, but a survival skill for anyone living amid violence and uncertainty. They share stories from the ground in Gaza, talk about teens choosing de-escalation over self-defense in life-or-death moments, and explore this year's theme, "Everyday Architects of Peace," the idea that lasting change doesn't start at a negotiating table, but in the quiet, internal shift that happens when one person decides to build from a place of peace instead of fear. It's an honest, hopeful conversation about grief, resilience, and why the world may be closer to a tipping point than it feels.

In this episode of Find Your SPARK, Brooke & Nicole sit down for a conversation in honor of the loved ones they've each lost to suicide. Recorded in their memory, this episode shares the message Nicole and Brooke bring to the people SPARK serves every day: understanding the nature of thought can change how we move through our lowest moments. Sometimes we think of a low mood as a trap with no way out. But if our minds can shift from a good mood to a low one, that same capacity for change works in reverse. When we recognize the feeling we're in for what it is, simply a passing state of mind rather than the truth of our circumstances, we open the door to a new experience. That understanding does not erase pain, but it does offer something people may not feel they have in a low moment: options. Giving ourselves grace starts feeling like a choice we are free to make. This conversation is for anyone who has struggled, anyone who has lost someone, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the mind works when things feel hardest. Our hope is that it offers a measure of comfort, and a reminder that things can look different in any moment. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24/7.

This week, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th) and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Chad joins us for an honest, unfiltered conversation about mental health and stigma. Together we explore how stigma keeps people from asking for help, what it really means to check in on someone, and how each of us can help uncover a sense of hope and wellbeing in the people around us. This episode is a reminder that these conversations save lives, and that starting them takes courage, not certainty. If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone, and help is available: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 You matter. Your story matters. And this conversation is for you.

Burnout awareness is having a moment, with schools and organizations across the country finally giving it the attention it deserves. In this episode, Chad sits down with Makayla Wheeldon to unpack what burnout really means, where it comes from, and why it shows up in so many forms, mentally, physically, and emotionally. The conversation turns to the helping professions closest to SPARK's work, especially education. Chad and Makayla talk about the fast-paced world we live in, the expectations placed on us, and how clearly that pressure shows up for educators and social workers. These are roles where people take their work home with them, and the toll adds up. Burnout is real, it deserves recognition, and sometimes the most important thing we can do is slow down.